If The Martian and The Twilight Zone had a baby, it would be Detour – a thriller that messes with your head as you scramble to piece together what’s really going on. Jeff Rake and Rob Hart have crafted an engaging and wonderfully puzzling first novel in a new series that sci-fi and psychological thriller fans will find intriguing and thought-provoking.
Three astronauts and three civilians are picked to make up the crew of an audacious 2-year long mission to Saturn’s moon Titan to access its viability as an alternate world for habitation as Earth’s climate continues to deteriorate. The mission’s benefactor is a presidential candidate and the richest man in the world, with his own motivations. As this unconventional group of would-be space heroes come together and set off for their destination, they know their lives will never be the same. But they are completely unprepared for exactly how much change they are in for…and the lengths others will go to keep them from learning the truth.
As this is a sci-fi novel, it requires the suspension of disbelief – from the technical aspects to how some of the crew are selected for this mission. But assuming you can successfully do that, you’re in for a treat because Detour will get its hooks into you early and keep you guessing to the very end. Between the plot twists and the multi-person/multi-media POV way the story is told, you get pieces of information from different perspectives which add to the uncertainty of what’s happening across the big picture. A storytelling mechanism that engages your brain in constant speculation. Making you feel like you’re a part of the crew, which enhances the reader’s connection to the characters and their unsettling plight.
As you finish this book, you will have more questions than answers. Especially with one hell of a cliffhanger that will have you begging for the next installment in this series. Which, when released, promises to be required reading for anyone who picks up this first book. Because being left in the dark will be unbearable and getting answers is the only cure.
Follow Steve on Twitter or contact him via the site.
Purchase Detour
(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)
Barrington Books
Chapter 2 Books
Murder By The Book
Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
The Poisoned Pen
